Fastening for structural iron.



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a. n. DYER.

FASTENING FOB STRUCTURAL 130". (Application filed May 24, 1900.)

' (No Model.)

0km: PETERS 50., PHOYOLITNQ. wnsnmm'mnc UNETE TATES ATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE H. DYER, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

FASTENING FOR STRUCTURAL lRON.

SPECIFICATION forming, part of Letters Patent No. 665,194, dated January 1, 1901.

Application filed May 24, 1900. Serial No. 17,808. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known thatI, GEORGE H. DYER, acitizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California, have invented an Improvementin Fastenings for Structural Iron, and I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

. My invention relates to a means for secur-.

ing iron structures together. r

It consists of peculiarly-slotted plates adapted to receive transverse bars extending through said plates and locking-bars passing through the plates in such relation to the first-named bars as to firmly lock and secure them and the plates together.

My invention also comprises details of construction, which will be more fully explained by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 represents the simplest fastening, showing two locking-bars detached. Fig. 2 shows itsapplication when used as braces, and Fig. 3 shows it in connection with orna-' mental work. Fig. 4 shows a bar with the diiferent slots in it as it may be used for raft ers. Fig. 5 illustrates the manner of constructing a roof with my devices. 7

My inven tion is designed to provide a means for securely and economically locking the parts of iron structures together, suchas prison-cells, animal-cages, ships gratings, window-guards, sidewalk-grates, floor, ceiling, wall, and building construction generally, and also for fences, elevator inclosures, bookcases, shelving, and a great variety of structures in which steel and iron largely enter.

As here illustrated, I have shown parallel plates or bars A, in which slots or channels 2,

are made having a width anddepth' sufficient to receive the bars 3, so that the latter may be passed through any number of the plates A. These slots 2 havenarrower slots offset from them, as shown at 4, and the bars 3 are notched at intervals corresponding with the position of the plates A, so that after the bars have been slipped through as many of the plates A as it is desired to unite by one or more of these bars the notched portions 5 of these bars are brought into line with the narrower portions 4 of the slots, and the bars can then be dropped into these narrower portions, Where the shoulders of the notches in the bars will interlock, and thus prevent channels, and thus prevent the notched bars from being removed from their places. These bars may be united in various ways. The simplest form is to make the longer slots with a single narrower slot 4 offset therefrom and to fit notched bars into the narrower slots and then secure them by plain bars extending through the larger slots.

If it is desired to employ diagonal bracing, as shown in Fig. 2, the notched bars may pass through slots at one side of one of the plates A and extend diagonally across to the other side and pass through similar slots on that side. Then the locking-bars will pass straight through each of the wider slots, and one looking-bar at one side and one at the opposite side thus serve to lock the-diagonally-disposed notched bar in its place and form a suflicient brace by reason of its position.

This construction can be variously modified to suit conditions. If ornamental work is desired, the wider slot 2 may have a narrower slot 4. upon each side. The notched bars may have the notches made at such a distance apart that the bars will bend or curve into any desired shape between the plates A, and, if desired, two of such bars may be introduced, curving away from each other, one lying in each of the notches 4, and the locking-bar 6 then passes through between the two, forming a straight line between the twoarcs or IOO without altering the character of the lock, which is the essential feature in all these devices.

This structure differs from any construction in which short keys are employed, because by extendin g the locking-bars through any number of the transverse plates A they enable me to form the connections of two or more separate bars, which are correspondingly strengthened by the addition, and as the bars extend through the whole length there is no way of loosening orseparating them by jar, concussion, vibration, or by surreptitious eifort, as would be the case where short keys were used for this purpose.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A means for uniting and securing metal structures consisting in forming slots through the plates to be united, other slots offset therefrom and terminating short of each end of the first-named slots, bars extending through a series of the'plates to be united having notches formed in the side edges to fit the narrower slots so that the shoulders on the notched bars abut against angular shoulders at the junction of the slots and offsets therefrom said notches coinciding with the desired position of the united plates whereby said bars may be first slipped through the wider slots, and

then the notched portions forced into the narrower slots, other bars passing through the wider slots of a series of the united plates whereby the firstnamed bars are locked in their engagement With the plates.

2. The combination in iron, steel or like metallic structures of plates or bars having a series of wide and narrow connecting-slots made through them, said narrow slots terminating short of the ends of the wide slots to form angular shoulders at the junction of the two slots, bars of a width to allow them to be passed through the wider portions of the slots of a series of the plates, notches formed in the side edges of said bars to coincide with the slots of the plates, and allow the bars to he forced to one side and lie within the narrower slots so that the shoulders of the latter will abut against the angular shoulders at the junction of the wide and narrow slots, and supplemental bars adapted to he pushed through and fit the wider slots of a series of plates, and to serve as supplemental and locking connections between said series.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

GEORGE I-I. DYER.

l/Vitnessesz S. H. NoURsE, J ESSIE C. BRODIE. 

